Pickup handwound or machine wound?

[Honkey tonk]

the perfect pickup , the first wrap of the coil would be the same length as the last wrap .
Technically thats not possible, inside turn is short of the outside or the last turn of the coil .
To make amends of the Parralax , run thicker wire on the inside and thinner wire on the last turns .

A machine wound pickup would carry a more consistent length , inside to outside

 

[DavidBassista]

"Hand wound pickup" is a term of art used in the electric guitar industry to refer to pickups that are wound with the wire guided by a human hand while a machine turns the pickup and counts the number of turns. This is common and understood parlance within the industry, so nobody is misrepresenting anything when they say that they are selling a hand wound pickup that is spun on a machine so long as a human guides the wire. This is how it was done in the 50s .

Also, an original 1975 Fender would have had a machine wound pickup. They stopped hand winding them when CBS took over in the mid 60s. So technically speaking, machine wound is more authentic for 1975.

 

[bikeplate]

Either sound good or they dont. Thats all that matters

 

[Ace Of Bass]

Jaco didn’t need his pickups wound

Ummm.....

 

[Ace Of Bass]

I honestly think it’s more of a marketing ploy rather than something that makes a very clear audible difference....would it be cool to have some Abigail/Josephina pickups due to the history.? Hell yes, but I also know that FCS Basses slay with “all machine wound” pickups....there’s a rather large possibility that that ‘75 RI is not going to disappoint you when it comes to the pickups..

 

[Durham52]

The posts by dwizum and iiipopes should be referenced as they are both remarkably clear, easy to follow and are well explained.

 

[wcriley]

There are at least two of us.

...the one I made in college, but that took HOURS to wind - the bobbin was anchored to my turntable, and I turned it by hand and counted EVERY STINKIN' turn.

Because I didn't have a bobbin, I held the magnet in one hand and wrapped with the other. As a result the wire would twist, kink and break rather often. By the time I soldered it back together and coated it, I'd have lost count even if I was trying.

 

[bassdude51]

My .02 cents based on stuff I've read over the past 10 or more years.

Every hand wound pickup with the "scatter winding" is unique. No two are a like and I would assume that no two sound exactly the same.

A loose wound pickup is brighter than a tight wound pickup.

There is a difference in sound with lacquer, shellac, all paraffin wax and 80% paraffin + 20% bee's wax...........potting.

Many variables.

Hand wound? Scatter wound is supposed to sound better. But does it?

Nordstrand uses a computer program to scatter wind it's pickups thus making them all pretty much the same. I think that that is a grand way to do it!

I personally would not get too hung up on pickups. Strings are the #1 variable for sound differences.

 

[Flying B]

My .02 cents based on stuff I've read over the past 10 or more years.

Every hand wound pickup with the "scatter winding" is unique. No two are a like and I would assume that no two sound exactly the same.

A loose wound pickup is brighter than a tight wound pickup.

There is a difference in sound with lacquer, shellac, all paraffin wax and 80% paraffin + 20% bee's wax...........potting.

Many variables.

Hand wound? Scatter wound is supposed to sound better. But does it?

Nordstrand uses a computer program to scatter wind it's pickups thus making them all pretty much the same. I think that that is a grand way to do it!

I personally would not get too hung up on pickups. Strings are the #1 variable for sound differences.

Also the position of the pickup on the bass plays a major part in how it will sound.

 

[Pantofolaio79]

"Hand wound pickup" is a term of art used in the electric guitar industry to refer to pickups that are wound with the wire guided by a human hand while a machine turns the pickup and counts the number of turns. This is common and understood parlance within the industry, so nobody is misrepresenting anything when they say that they are selling a hand wound pickup that is spun on a machine so long as a human guides the wire. This is how it was done in the 50s .

Also, an original 1975 Fender would have had a machine wound pickup. They stopped hand winding them when CBS took over in the mid 60s. So technically speaking, machine wound is more authentic for 1975.

Actually I agree with your reasoning .. just for 75 there is no manual procedure ..